Pocket cigar lighter



June 18, 1929. K, SCI-HEUER 1,717,941

POCKET CIGAR LIGHTER Filed OG'.. 26, 1927 ATTORNEY KARL BCHIEDER, F NUREMBERG,

T0 STANDARD DEVICES, INC., QF NEW WARE.

GERMANY, AssIqNon, BY Masini ASSIGNMENTS,

YORK,` N. Y.A CORPORATION 0F DELA- POUKET 4CIGIAR LIGHTER.

Application led October 26, 1927. Serial No. 228,754.

My invention relates to pocket cigar lighters; that is, to devices to be carried in the pocket and used for conveniently and quickly lighting cigars, cigarettes and the like.

This application is closely associated with another application I have pending, Serial No. 210,491, filed August-4th, 1927.

I seek to give the various parts of my imprpved pocket cigar lighter such form and arrangement as to present a number of advantages, among which are the following:

First, the casing, though in this instance made up in pieces, is rigid throughout in the sense that, for purposes of operating the lighter, no part of the casing need be movable relatively t'o any other part thereof, the opening and closing of the casing being effected by a door, housed within the casing and having in this instance the form of a barrel, slidably mounted.

Second, he fuel tank, carried by and practically forming a part of the casing, is of such form as to provide a maximum of space to be occupied by the fuel, and at the same 25 time to define andrpartially circumscribe another space within the casing, of suitable form and size to be occupied by the main working parts, grouped closely together.

Third, to actuate the sliding barrel and the ignition mechanism by means of a single thrust rod used for the purpose, this thrust rod extending directly through a portion of the fuel tank, and yet completely separated from the fuel by means of a tube in which the thrust rod is slidably mounted, the thrust rod and tube having such .form that the movements of the thrust rod during the operation of the device cause a circulation of air through the tube.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference charactersV indicate like parts throughout all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a substantially central sectionv through my improved taken longitudinall cigar lighter, showi g the movable parts in the positions they respectively occupy while the lighting mechanism is not in action.

Figure 2 is a section like Figure 1, but* showing the movable parts as they appear while the lighting mechanism is in action.

Figure'3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a cross section through one form of thrust rod, and the tube through which said thrust rod extends. l

Figure 5 is a cross section through another form of thrust rod, and the tube through which it extends.

iA casing is shown as 6, and has the form of a small flat box, made of sheet material, preferably metal', and adapted to be carried in the pocket.

le casing-is provided with end caps and 8, and with an opening 9 having'` the form of a slot.

Located Within the casing 6 is apartition wall 10 extending crosswise thereof, and provided with a portion 11 extendinglengthwise of the casing, and with another portion 12 extending crosswise of the casing. Thus the partition wall as a whole is bent as indicated in Figures l and 2, and has a step formation,

Upon one side of the partition wall is a compartment 13, for containing fuel, this compartment being provided with a rather narrow portion 13, projecting away from the main portion 13. Thus the compartmentv 13, with its extending portion 13, is essentially a fuel `space bounded in part by the partition wall 10 with its extending portion 11; these parts, together with the adjacent portions of the casing, constituting a fuel tank of the form indicated.

Within the casing, and upon the side of the partition wall opposite the fuel compartment just described, is another compartment 14, in form suitable for a number of working parts to be contained therein and grouped closely together, as may be understood from Figures 1 and 2.' The compartment 14 is thus bounded upon two of its sides by the fuel tank. Y 95 This arrangement of the compartments Within the casing effects a saving of space, in the sense that most of the working parts are grouped together' practically in one corner of the casing, and the fuel tank ispartially fitted around the group of working parts.

The casing is provided with a screw plug 1-5, extending through 'the end cap 7, and detachably fitted into position, in order to permit the introduction of liquid fuel into the fuel tank.

Carried by the partition wall 10 and exbe present.

tending therefrom toward the slot 9 is a rather short burner tube 16, and a wick 1.7 extends through the burner tube 16. This Wick is for the most part contained wlthln therfuel tank, but is provided with an exposed 'end portion 18 projecting luto the slotl 9 and adapted to be lighted, .and Iwhen thus lighted there is'a flame 19 Within the slot 9 and reachngilhtwardly therefrom, as 1nd1, cated in Figure 2.

Slidably mounted within the casing, and adapted to open and close the slot 9, 1s a barrel 20 provided with an opening 2 1. `This barrel, when moved to the limit of its travel to the left according to Figure 1, fits over the burner tube 16 and therewith completely incloses the exposed portion' 18 of the Wlck, and extinguishes the flame 1'9 if such iame This barrel 20 conserves the fuel by preventing undue evaporation thereof, and leaves the exposed end portion 18 of the wick well saturated with the fuel and readyto be lighted.

Housed within the casing, and engaging the barrel 20 and the end cap 8, is a compression spring 22 for moving the barrel 2O in one direction of its travel; that is', to the left according to Figures 1 and 2.

Connected with the barrel 20 is a thrust rod 23, provided with a thumb button 24 andV extending through a tube 25, the thrust rod 22 having a cross section of triangular form, as indicated in Figure 4. The thrust rod fits neatly within the tube 25, in the sense that it makes a neat Working fit therein; and

yet owing to the angular form of the thrust,4

rod, a little air can circulate freely through the tube 25 whenever the thrust rod is moved in the direction of its length. j

In this connection it will be noted that a movement of the barrel 20, and particularly a rapid movement thereof, has moreY or less .tendency to stir the little volume of air always present in the compartment 14, and this causes a little circulation of air to take place through the tube 25. Again, the movemont of the thrust rod, actingmore or less like a piston, causes a displacement of air within the compartment 14 and still further increases the circulation of air through the tube 25.

The tube 25 is connected with the end cap 7 and extends therefrom to the partition wall 10, the connection of the tube with the two parts just mentioned being liquid-tight, so that there can be no leakage of the liquidv fuel into the tube 25.

Mounted rigidly upon the barrel 20. is a toothed rack bar 26 which engages a toothed gear wheel 27, mounted loosely upon the fixed shaft 28. Revolubly mounted upon the shaft 28 is a friction Wheel 29, of the type well known inthis art for producing sparks.

In order to enable movements of the gear wheel 27 to actuate the friction wheel 19,

I provide the gear with alpawl30, and

provide a sprmg washer 31 f or forcing the friction wheel 29 toward and against the y gear wheel. lThis arrangementlenables the rocking movements of the gear Wheel 30 to turn the friction-Wheel 29 step by step; and

adjacent portion of the -fuel tank and thus through the body of the fuel. Within the tube 33 is a spring 3.4 engaging the flint 32,

and an adjusting screw 35 extends into the tube 33 and engages the spring 34. The operator by adjusting the screw 35 can control the pressure of the spring 34 uponthe int 32, and by so doing can control the pressure/ of the Hint 32 agalnst the friction wheel 29. In some instances I prefer` to. give the thrust rod a square form in cross section, as indicated at 36, in Figure 5. For all practical purposes the action of this thrust rod is like that of the thrust rod 23 above described.

Whenever the operator places his thumb upon the thumb button 24 and forces` the thrust rod 23 (or 36) to the right according to Figure 1, the barrel 20 uncovers the slot 9 and thus leaves the latter open. At the same time the end portion 18 of the Wick is exposed, and the friction wheel 29 is actuated and grinds rapidly against the Hint 32, thus producing sparks and projecting them out through the slot 9 and-against the exposed end portion 18 of the wick 18, producing the flame 19. Upon relaxingthe pressure upon the thumb button 24 the'barrel 20, under pressure of the spring 32, moves to the left to the limit of lits travel according to Figure 1, thus closing the slot and resuming its normal position, the flame being thereby extinguished.

This pocket cigar lighter may be constructed quite small-in size, readily carried in a small pocket, and in practice operated by only one hand.

The 'operation of my 'device may be readily understood -from the foregoing description.

Suppose the various movable parts occupy the respective positions indicated for them in Figure 1. The device is now in its normal condition of inactivity, and may be placed in the pocket. y y

The operator, in order to strike a light,

manipulates the device with one handionly ous abnormal positions indicate for them in Figure 2, and the flame 19 being produced, as above described.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therein Without departing from my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letducing a flame therein, said ignition mech anism being connected with said movable member, a tube carried by said casing, and a thrust rod connected with said movable member and extending through said tube, said thrust rod being movable longitudinally in the direction of its travel, for actuating said movable member and said ignition mechanism.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a partition Wall carried by said casing and so disposed as to divide the space therein into two compartments, one for 'holding a iiquid fuel, igni- 30 tion mechanism located Withln the other of said compartments, a thrust rod extending through the compartment for holding said liquid fuel and connected directly with said ignition mechanism for the purpose of ena- 35 bling the operator to operate said ignition mechanism by moving said thrust rod in the direction of-its length and a tube carried by said casing and encircling said thrust rod,

for enabling said thrust rod to move freely 40 pack and forth Without engagement with the uel.

3. In a pocket'cigar lighter the combination of a casing, ignition mechanism carried by said casing for producing a flame, 45

a thrust rod connected With said ignition mechanism and controllable by hand for ac-^ tuating said ignition mechanism, and a tube extending through said casing and encircling said thrust rod, said thrust rod beingso 5o fitted into said tube that by movement of said thrust rod relatively to said tube, air

yis caused to circulate through said tube so as to reach said i ition mechanism.

Signed at Munlch, Germany, this 8th day 55 

